Bethe-hole polarization analyser for the magnetic vector of light

The nature of light as an electromagnetic wave with transverse components has been confirmed using optical polarizers, which are sensitive to the orientation of the electric field. Recent advances in nanoscale optical technologies demand their magnetic counterpart, which can sense the orientation of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Nature communications Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 451
Main Authors:	Kihm, H.W., Koo, S.M., Kim, Q.H., Bao, K., Kihm, J.E., Bak, W.S., Eah, S.H., Lienau, C., Kim, H., Nordlander, P., Halas, N.J., Park, N.K., Kim, D.-S.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	London Nature Publishing Group UK 23-08-2011 Nature Publishing Group Nature Pub. Group
Subjects:	639/766/119/997 639/766/25 639/766/400/1103 Humanities and Social Sciences multidisciplinary Science Science (multidisciplinary)
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	The nature of light as an electromagnetic wave with transverse components has been confirmed using optical polarizers, which are sensitive to the orientation of the electric field. Recent advances in nanoscale optical technologies demand their magnetic counterpart, which can sense the orientation of the optical magnetic field. Here we report that subwavelength metallic apertures on infinite plane predominantly sense the magnetic field of light, establishing the orientation of the magnetic component of light as a separate entity from its electric counterpart. A subwavelength aperture combined with a tapered optical fibre probe can also serve as a nanoscale polarization analyser for the optical magnetic field, analogous to a nanoparticle sensing the local electric polarization. As proof of its functionality, we demonstrate the measurement of a magnetic field orientation that is parallel to the electric field, as well as a circularly polarized magnetic field in the presence of a linearly polarized electric field. Determining the direction of the magnetic field of light is important for optical applications. Here, scattering of light from a subwavelength aperture in a metal plane is shown to be governed by its magnetic vector, providing the magnetic field orientation independently of the electric field.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	2041-1723 2041-1723
DOI:	10.1038/ncomms1430